DR Congo President Felix Tshisekedi has signed a law that eases the rules for holding referendums on constitutional matters, Africanews reported. The order was read on national television overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday. The opposition says the law opens the way to a constitutional change that could let Tshisekedi run for a third term.
Tshisekedi, 63, has been in power since 2019. Under the current constitution, he must step down when his second five-year term expires at the end of 2028. Africanews did not say which specific rules the new law changes.
Tshisekedi has said he is not chasing a third term, but he has not ruled one out. At a rare news conference in early May, he said he had "not sought a third term". He added: "If people want me to have a third term, I will accept."
Opposition parties have joined forces in recent months to fight any change to the constitution. They have grouped together in a platform called C64. In June and September, they called protests against what they describe as a "constitutional coup". The protests took place in the capital, Kinshasa, and in other cities.
The opposition has struggled to bring large crowds onto the streets, according to Africanews. It was left weakened and divided after Tshisekedi's landslide win in the 2023 election.
The law comes as conflict grips much of eastern DR Congo. The Rwanda-backed M23 armed group seized large swathes of territory there last year, Africanews reported. The Daily Nation and The EastAfrican also reported the signing and described the law as contested.